Synopses & Reviews
Václav Havel was one of the greats of the late 20th century. Apart from Nelson Mandela, few contemporary leaders have done as much to change not only history but also the way we think about historical change. Havel was a fascinating multifaceted individual, a profound thinker, a fearless leader, an original playwright, a brilliant essayist, a fledgling film director, the heart and soul of a party, a husband, and a lover.
HAVEL: A LIFE is the definitive biography of a man who took a momentous step from the theatrical stage to the worlds stage and in the process changed the face of his country and influenced minds across continents. The story of his life takes him from a privileged childhood in Prague to being an outcast and a class enemy. He went on to become a bright shining star in the briefly liberal sixties leading up to the Prague Spring, but was banned as an artist during the period of normalization. A founder of Charter 77 and a prisoner of conscience, in 1989 Havel stepped into the ultimate role as the leader of the Velvet Revolution and then as presidentfirst of Czechoslovakia and then the Czech Republic.
Havel died in December of 2011 at the age of seventy-five. Although he had been out of office for more than eight years at the time of his death, he was massively mourned both at home and abroad, testifying to the lasting nature of his legacy. With unprecedented access to private correspondence, documents, and to individuals who shared their days and nights with Havel, Michael ŽantovskýHavels former press secretary, spokesman, and close friendpresents a never-before-seen portrait of the man that insightfully moves from public to private. HAVEL: A LIFE is a powerful, engaging, and revelatory account of one of our great international minds and political leaders.
Review
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice"Entertaining, intimate, and moving . . . Zantovskys voicethat of a natural storyteller with an eye for the memorable anecdote, a mischievous wit, an easy intelligence, and keen sense of balance and fairnessis so engaging . . . His account of Havels life and ideas [has] an exceptional cultural depth and sensitivity." Paul Wilson, New York Review of Books
"[An] intimate new biography . . . a splendid remembrance of Havel." Wall Street Journal
"Zantovsky revives the revolutionary Havel." Vanity Fair
"Deeply sympathetic . . . an enthralling, sometimes thrilling, portrait of an infinitely varied character, a man of deep contradictions nurtured by equally deep convictions. . . . The biography of the year." Observer (a Book of the Year)
"[Zantovsky] tells the story with a great flair for detail, almost as though he had stood at Havels shoulder, taking notes. . . . Thanks to Zantovskys truthfulness, Havel emerges from this account as a great national leader whose greatness was inseparable from real humility and grace." Roger Scruton, Times (UK)
"A superb biography. . . . The volume not only brings Havel to life with unparalleled vividness. It also lays out the heart-breaking history of Czechoslovakia. . . . [Zantovsky] has managed to bring Havel alive in language that has the intimacy of a memoir yet is fully grounded in facts. . . . What this magisterial biography does so well is give us an even-handed portrait of a remarkable, flawed man." Roberta Silman, ArtsFuse
"Zantovsky narrates the events of Havels life, from his privileged upbringing to his participation in the Charter 77 dissident circle to his variously triumphant and troubled presidency, and does so thoroughly and engagingly. . . . A rare biographical success: affectionate but balanced, comprehensive but also uncommonly intimate." Booklist (starred)
"Vivid and intimate . . . This moving, perceptive chronicle succeeds in showing the many dimensions of a towering 20th-century figure." Publishers Weekly
"A balanced, candid portrait . . . Zantovsky brings an intimate perspective to this impressive biography of a man and history of a beleaguered nation." Kirkus Reviews
"This lively biography will reintroduce a major figure in modern history and letters to a new generation." Spectator
"Havel was one of the most important intellectual-troublemaking statesmen of his timea nonconformist, determined to live in truth, who questioned the system, his countrymen and himself constantly. No one is better suited than Michael Zantovsky to describe, interpret, and analyze this moral giant. While providing us with a brilliantly informed intellectual and political history, Zantovskys own background as a psychiatrist, journalist, participant in the Velvet Revolution, key advisor and friend allows him to present the fullest picture of this great and complicated man. Zantovskys masterful biography of Havel is written with great understanding, candor, and loveand provides us with expert analysis of not only politics but also Havels plays to boot." Madeleine Albright
"Václav Havel is one of the paramount moral and political leaders of our time, and Michael Zantovsky has produced his definitive biography. Smart and exciting, it captures his greatness. Based on a long and close relationship, access to private letters, and many interviews, this deeply personal tale is both inspiring and filled with lessons for our time." Walter Isaacson
"Michael Zantovskys biography of Václav Havel is a joy and an inspiration. Warm, wry, witty, it tells the life story of one of the most significant thinkers, writers, and politicians of our time. . . . Zantovsky has paid his friend the ultimate compliment of writing not a hagiography but a superbly nuanced biography which will never be equaled." William Shawcross
"Michael Zantovsky has written an intimate and penetrating story of the man who symbolizes the end of the Cold War and the building of freedom and reconciliation in Europe. Inspirational, moral, fun loving, theatrical, indecisive, conflicted and ultimately tragic, Havel had been the architect of the Velvet Revolution and was Czechoslovakias first post-cold war President. As Havels close friend and collaborator for nearly 30 years, Zantovsky helps us admire and understand this philosopher king whose summons 'Power of the Powerless' gave courage and hope to people around the globe." William H. Luers (U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia 1983-1986)
Synopsis
Vaclav Havel was one of the most prominent figures of the twentieth century: iconoclast and intellectual, renowned playwright turned political dissident, president of a united then divided nation, and dedicated human rights activist. Written by Michael Zantovsky--Havel's former press secretary, advisor, and longtime friend--Havel: A Life presents a revelatory portrait of this giant among men and the turbulent times through which he prevailed.
Havel's lifelong perspective as an outsider began with his privileged childhood in Prague and his family's blacklisted status following the Communist coup of 1948. This feeling of being outcast fueled his career as an essayist and dramatist, writing absurdist plays as social commentary. His involvement during the Prague Spring and his leadership of Charter 77, his unflagging belief in the power of the powerless, and his galvanizing personality catapulted Havel into a pivotal role as the leader of the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Although Havel was a courageous visionary, he was also a man of great contradictions, wracked with doubt and self-criticism. But he always remained true to himself. Over the next thirteen years, he continued to break through international barriers as the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic.
Synopsis
Václav Havel was one of the most prominent figures of the twentieth centuryiconoclast and intellectual, artist turned political leader, president of a first united and later divided nation, and international human rights activist. This intimate biography begins with his privileged childhood in Prague, and his early years as an outcast under Communist rule. Resilient and dogged, he aspired to a career in the arts as a playwright and an essayist. However, his outspoken involvement during the Prague Spring led to the harsh censorship of his work and five years in and out of prisons. His leadership of Charter 77, his unflagging belief in the power of the powerless, and his galvanizing personality bolstered him into a pivotal role as the leader of the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Over the next fourteen years, he continued to break through barriers as the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic.
As one of Havels closest friends and as his political ally, press secretary, and advisor, Michael Zantovsky was a rare witness to this extraordinary life. With unprecedented access to private correspondence, documents, and interviews, Zantovsky presents a powerful, engaging, and revelatory account of a giant among men.
About the Author
Michael Žantovský is Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the court of St. James in England. In 1990, he became the press secretary and spokesman for President Václav Havel and went on to serve as the Ambassador to the United States and to Israel. In 1996, he was elected to the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, and thrice elected the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security of the Senate. He has taught American studies at Charles University in Prague and Euro-American relations at the Prague branch of the New York University.
He has translated into Czech more than fifty works of contemporary English and American fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction (including books by James Baldwin, Norman Mailer, Toni Morrison, and Tom Stoppard), and he published a book on the life and films of Woody Allen. He was a contributor to the samizdat press, and the Prague correspondent of Reuters, as well as a founding member of the Czech chapter of P.E.N. and a founding member of the Civic Forum. As a journalist, he has published many articles and essays on foreign policy, current affairs and literature.